


The frog prince

by baalsdungeon



Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: F/F, F/M, a strange dream i had, im sorry for this, please don't kill me for this, sort of fairytale, this is mostly nonsense fun, you could say it's a crack fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:27:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23071708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baalsdungeon/pseuds/baalsdungeon
Summary: It all could've been so nice! The frog would get kissed by a princess, they would fall in love, and live happily ever after.Maybe that was true for other cursed princes, but Alibaba isn't that lucky. When he meets Hakuryuu and trades his help for three wishes, all his plans are canceled by a rude stranger, stealing his spot...Will he be able to get free in time?
Relationships: Judal | Judar/Ren Hakuryuu, Kassim | Cassim/Ren Kougyoku
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13





	The frog prince

It was late June in the Kou Empire, a large area surrounded by a brick wall around the palace, the hot sun shone directly upon the countless red tiles and the various flowers in the gardens. It was afternoon, where almost everyone was distracted with work, and the crown-prince was out on diplomatic discussions, so the usually crowded place was emptied despite a few guards and some members of the royal family.

Without having to deal with a tight schedule of strength training and desk work, one of the younger princes, Hakuryuu, went for a walk to one of his favorite places there. He wasn't fond of being left here, when his brothers had to settle for important meetings, and it was rather boring, even when it had been nice to relax in the beginning. 

On his way to his destination, he threw a golden ball into the air, then caught it, repeating the motion several times to observe the reflection of the sun upon the surface when it reached the highest point. It was a wonderful sight, and that may be the reason Kougyoku loved it so much. The ball was her most precious possession, and she never gave it away. She had made an exception for him today because he had been worried about his family, and her treasure might distract him for a bit.

Hakuryuu stopped his motion when he reached the small lake, shadowed under a few huge trees, and divided by the wall that surrounded the area. He had been forbidden to play there as a kid, for the water was so deep, but some of his cousins constantly broke that rule to swim there. It brought back happy memories to be here again, and the prince once more found himself admiring the golden shine of his new possession while he sat down. Once more, he threw it up. But he didn’t catch it this time. It flew only a few inches farther than expected, and instead of staying in the tall grass, it began to roll towards the water, until it sank down. 

Hakuryuu tried to see where it had landed, but he couldn’t even see the shimmering of the ball, no matter how hard he tried to make out the surroundings. In fact, he didn’t know how far down it went. Kouen had told him many stories about the lake that ate people when he was a kid, and even though he knew his siblings only did it to mock him, he never dared to swim in it. 

So he simply sat there, staring down into the depth, his mind already thinking about Kougyokus face, disappointment, and anger visible in her eyes, mourning the loss of her favorite toy. She would say it wasn't his fault, but it was. Why couldn't he have been more careful? 

A sudden voice reached his ears, and he turned around, but nobody was there. He was alone, he had made sure nobody followed him here on the way, but why was-? But there it was, right next to him sat a strange frog, a lot bigger than the usual ones he knew, and it seemed to stare right at him. Hakuryuu started to shift away from it.

"Wait, no! Please listen!" the creature spoke up, and the prince stared at it with wide eyes. He would have left by now, but he couldn’t come back without the ball. "I'm Alibaba," the frog started again. "Y-You have lost something, right? I can bring it back." 

Hakuryuu meant to ask why he could talk, why would he bother, but instead he asked "You can? Please bring it back! I will give you whatever you want." What could a frog possibly want, he asked himself.

"Three wishes," the other said, "Once I give you back what you've lost, you'll grant them to me, no matter what, right?" 

The prince nodded, still unsure. Why would he need three wishes? 

Something wasn't right. Alibaba's aura had magic surrounding him, and that was never a good sign. But Hakuryuu was desperate. "Alright. If you-"

Another voice cut him off. "Hey Hakuryuu, are you really gonna listen to that ugly thing?" Both looked up to see someone lying lazily on a tree bench, right above the lake. It was Judar, nobody else would be crazy enough to climb on such a high spot just to relax. 

"Judar, what are you doing here? You can't just simply invite yourself, and what if you get hurt?" Hakuryuu was quite used to seeing the other, he was the adoptive son of a high noblewoman, and since their mothers are good friends, he had spent almost his entire childhood with him. 

Judar had always been very fond of Hakuryuu's company, and he would hide under his bed so his mother wouldn't take him back home, or sleep in the gardens. He would just shrug and say he didn't like his home, and he liked everything here better when asked why he insisted on staying. After all the years they had spent together, Hakuryuu had since decided to cut ties with Judar, they weren't kids anymore, and he couldn't afford to be distracted from his mission. Soon, he would marry a princess, it was his own decision, and he knew Judar hated that. 

"Ah, yeah. Your guards suck, and climbing up here is easy. Are these people even doing their job? And then I find you making a pact with an ugly...something," Judar spat, eyeing the strange frog from above. "You know Ryuu, for a wish or two, I can help you out too." As he said that, he lost balance on his sitting spot, falling directly into the water. As he appeared on the surface, he was crackling from laugher. 

Hakuryuu was all wet from the splash, looking unamused. "I don't know how you get u here all the time, but the guards do a perfect job. And don't you dare dive into that lake, you could die!" From the look of Judar's dirty clothes and several scratches on his face, he could see it wasn't as easy to break in here as he made out to be, and him still sneaking into the palace like he owned it was a common sight for everyone. 

"Ah, are you worried about me? Don't be, I’ll be faster than that ugly frog thing! He stinks of magic, don't make a pact with that sort!" It was all he said before taking a deep breath, then fastly diving into the water, even when all he could see was the pitch-black grounds beneath him. Alibaba huffed angrily. This was his chance, he wasn't gonna lose now! 

Fastly, he followed the black-haired, he could see better than any human now and didn't need to breathe as much. 

Hakuyruu didn't know what to do now. He wasn't a good swimmer, he wouldn't be able to help Judar if he got in danger. It has been so long already thirty-nine, forty seconds now...what if he died over something so stupid? No, he couldn't! The prince stood up, taking off his crown, ready to go after him any second. 

Suddenly, he saw a shadow appear on the surface, and soon enough, a hand. He grabbed it and pulled Judar up, who gasped for air. After a few seconds, he coughed heavily, leaning on the edge for support.

"Judar! I was so worried!" Hakuryuu cried like he did when he was six years old, hugging him in relief. 

The other grinned, holding up a familiar golden object. "Told you I'd get it!" He said and presented it to Hakuryuu, who raised a brow in disbelief. 

"You found it that deep down? And if you had drowned, for what?!" 

"For my three wishes, duh. Hmm, my first one is I want you to have dinner with me. Like, you won't ignore me or complain I'm there and scold me for my manners, alright?" Judar's wishes were nothing the sort Hakuryuu expected to like 'Let's take over the world' or something. Just dinner, that's all he wanted? Of course, Hakuryuu knew better.

He held a hand towards the other to help him out of the water and not freezing to death or something if that was possible in such a hot climate. Judar gladly took it, then suddenly, he grinned mischievously, pulling at Hakuryuu’s arm, who fell into the lake with him. 

The other didn't recognize what was happening at first, only feeling his body being moved forward by force until he felt the cold of the lake water around him. Judar grabbed him, pulling him upwards, still laughing. "Ryuu, you should see your face! Why are you so serious now all the time? Let's swim, you're already in the water." 

"Yeah, thanks for that," Hakuryuu smiled a bit than splashed some water directly into Judar's face, who screamed overdramatically. 

"That hurts you bastard! Apologize now!" 

"No way!" Hakuryuu made his way to the meadow again, only to be halted by Judar. They both laughed for a few minutes until the sun started to set. "Let's go inside. I'll ask Kougyoku to get you some dry clothes, and then we have dinner, alright? But Judar," Hakuryuu gathered all of his stuff, giving his best to look away from the other "I-the reason I was so busy...I know it, right? You flirt with me, and how you look at me...but I can't return those feelings, you know that. I have to marry a princess to end the current war, I won't let my sister go through that again. You understand what I want to say, right?" 

Judar's expression was unreadable, eyes fixed on him, then he returned to his usual annoyed frown whenever he wanted to complain. "Yeah whatever, I'm rich as fuck, what I'm not good enough for handsome prince Hakuryuu? You have like twenty sisters who can marry anyone. Also, don't tell me you don't like me at all."

Hakuryuu didn't answer and kept walking towards Kougyokus chambers, knowing Judar would follow him anyway, and ignored the strange looks from the guards they passed by. Being constantly judged was the big downside to an otherwise luxurious life, but he also thought about what might have happened to that frog, that went searching for his treasure and expecting those wishes for him, the ones he will grant Judar now. 

\----

Alibaba was more than angry! How dare that bastard, stealing something that was his!! He had found the ball, and as he went to return it, that boy snatched it from him, and now he had lost his only chance of becoming a human again. He would never have a girlfriend, or kiss someone!! 

He didn't know why he ended up like this. Someday a strange man appeared, accompanied by two masked magicians, saying he needed to vanish for the great future of his country. All that he could remember after that was when he woke up, he wasn't a human anymore. He then was forced to flee from the palace, as no one believed him to be the third prince. But his advisor knew what to do. He needed to be kissed by someone, within thirty days. He only had two left now. 

When he saw the young prince earlier, he figured a pact was what he needed! He would make two ridiculous wishes, and then ask for a kiss, and the other would be so annoyed to grant it, and he could be free. 

None of that happened, thanks to that Judar guy!! But now he was already in the palace, silently following him. Only a prince or princess could lift the curse, that's how these things worked.

\----

Kougyoku was in her room, as usual, brushing her long red hair, humming as the sun set next to her huge mirror. It was nice to dress in her usual style again, he hasn't been fond of Balbadd’s fashion at all. As she heard a knock, she wanted to open it, but Judar had already stepped inside, ruining her carpet with his long wet hair. Even his clothes were completely soaked in ice-cold water, and Hakuryuu didn't look any better. She ignored Judar, who wrung out his hair on the floor and looked at her cousin questionably.

“Don't ask. Here,” he handed her the golden ball back “Judar fell into the lake, I saved him from drowning,” he lied, but a long explanation was unneeded now “can you give him some clothes? He will stay for dinner.” 

Kougyoku put her ‘treasure’ down on a desk. “Oh, he will? I thought you said Judar won't-”

“It's only for tonight. Right, Judar?”

The other rolled his eyes. “Yes, your majesty.” How was someone gonna take him any serious, he looked like a cat that was sitting down outside in the rain for a whole night. 

As Hakuryuu left, he angrily stomped his foot on the ground. “You know what he said? ‘I can't return your feelings’. Bullshit! I know he likes me, why doesn't he admit it?” He knew Kougyoku wouldn't be any help in this, but at least he could let his frustration out now. 

“He is practically engaged, you know this is hard for him, right?” she said, holding out some spare clothes for guests. Judar turned around to change and sighed. “He never says anything to me. Only he is busy or such. But this time I've got THIS!” Grinning, he turned around in his new clothes, a bit too loose on this thin frame, and held up three fingers. 

“You have a hand?” Kougyoku asked, a bit perplexed.

“No, you moron! I got him to agree to three wishes! Awesome, right? First is this dinner, then we will have sex and then-”

“JUDAR ARE YOU SERIOUS?!” Kougyoku screeched, and Alibaba almost cried from how loud she was. But yeah, what was wrong with that guy? That wasn't how you win someone's heart over, with some lousy wish. “You can't ask for sexual favors from my brother! Hakuyuu will kill you when he comes back!” 

The other snickered. “I'm just joking. Geez, does nobody here know what fun is? I get there's a war or something, but damn, you didn't kill this bastard, so why do you need to marry anyone? Also, I have far better ideas for my wishes! See you later, hag!” 

Judar stormed down the hallway, eager to meet up for dinner. Hopefully, Hakuryuu would cook a delicious meal again. He used to do it a lot when he was stressed and ended up with food for days. He always gave the most to Judar, who enjoyed these dishes to no end. But some weeks ago, he hadn't been invited to the palace anymore, and Hakuyruu wouldn't go to the kitchen to prepare meals, but stay in his room to study. 

\----

Kougyoku closed her door, sighing. Judar was such an idiot, and Hakuryuu was too. She really needed a break and relax for a bit. Maybe she would skip dinner and eat later, and tomorrow Kouen would be back to- 

Then she saw it. A shock wave was sent through her body, there under her bed, sat a huge frog, watching with huge eyes! She let out another loud scream, but no one came to help her. Where was everyone?

“Calm down, Miss,” Alibaba said, and she almost fainted.

“You can talk! Why are you here, get out of my room!!” Kougyoku was furious, how dare he! Obviously, it was some magic to change someone's appearance so he could spy on her. 

Why was this always happening to him, Alibaba thought. “Wait!! I'm a prince! If you kiss me, I'll become human again!” he declared. Surely, a romantic, nice person like her would understand his situation, right? “It was a curse, please help me!”

“No way I'll kiss an ugly frog! I've been lied to once, never again! I'm sure it's not a curse, it's magic, and you just transform back after you stole my first kiss, you pervert!” The princess reached for a vase that stood nearby, holding it like a sword towards Alibaba. 

He’d take it all back about Judar, that woman was far more dangerous! "Ok, hold on! I wasn't here for you, it was the prince who should have freed me, but that damn Judar came in my way! You need to help me, I don't have time!" 

The princess scoffed. "As if. Hakuryuu's heart is taken, and if you were to kiss him, Judar would certainly kill you. You know that, right?"

Alibaba nodded, but she couldn't see that because of his current appearance. "I don't know about what's going on with that Judar, but I'm not interested in Hakuryuu at all! I just need someone - anyone - to kiss me until tomorrow evening or I will forever be a frog and never get a girlfriend who will love me!" He hadn't planned to look that pathetic and plead to someone, but what did he have left?

"Fine!! Stop crying, for god's sake. I don't know how I am supposed to help you here, I won't kiss you no matter what." Kougykou thought about anyone that would be willing to help a stranger out, but the palace was mostly empty by now. 

Alibaba jumped up, excited. "Take me to that dinner! If I can ruin Judars plans like he did mine, I may still get a chance to be free!" 

Kougyoku wasn't fond of that idea. First of all, Judar was in love with her brother, and he just wanted a dinner alone with him, she would ruin his day. And also she would need a reason to bring that thing to dinner, and why should she help somebody? The whole empire was in trouble over the situation with Balbadd, but she still felt pity for the self-proclaimed prince. Maybe she could talk to Hakuryuu and ask him for a favor, to kiss the frog instead of her. She simply couldn't do it. 

\------

Meanwhile, Judar reached the dining hall, disappointed as he saw several people sitting there instead of it being just him and Hakuryuu. He didn't know most of them, but they looked boring, and he knew Hakuyuu and Hakuren weren't there. Not even Kouen was at the palace, he was the most fun person to prank from all of the Rens. 

Hakuryuu saw the look on his face and smiled at the sight. "You never said it would be just us. I usually have dinner with some of our current guests. My sister has cooked today as well," he said, and Judar knew what that meant.

"Your sister....don't tell me...Ah, you bastard! If you plan to make me leave with poisoned disgusting food you can wait for that to happen!" He sat down eagerly, looking at the poor ingredients that were seemingly smashed together randomly. Hakuei was the worst cook he could think of, he had hoped Hakuryuu would have prepared something for him, sorta like a date or whatever.

Kougyoku's appearance didn't lighten his mood, especially as he saw her carrying an all-too-familiar frog and placing it on the table in front of her. “Take that disgusting thing out of my sight,” he complained, “And also he reeks of dark magic, stay away from that!”

Hakuryuu nodded. “Judar is right here. Something is off. Earlier he demanded a pact from me, and I almost agreed to his conditions. It may have been a trap, and I'm glad I didn't have to agree.” He looked at Judar fondly, and the other grinned. That was a win for him, indeed!

“ALL I WANTED WAS A KISS!” Alibaba shouted at him, and some people on the table gave them strange looks. “You ruined everything! I'm a prince, I can prove it if you lift my curse.”

Judar stuck his tongue out at him. “Yeah, no way I let Hakuryuu kiss you, and what prince lets himself get cursed like this? Don't you have guards or something? Magicians to free you? What a joke!” He laughed as the frog tried to jump at his face, but Kougoku held him in place. 

“My name is Alibaba!!” he screamed, and Hakuryuu sighed. “I don't think anyone here will be willing to help you out. And Judar: it's not your place to tell me who I can kiss or not.” He sounded like he was scolding a kid, and both Alibaba and Judar were silent now.

After a while, Hakuei entered the room, a big bowl in her hands. “Oh, we have guests! And welcome back, Kougyoku. I heard about Balbadd…” 

Alibaba watched Kougyoku frown at the mention of Balbadd. “Yeah, I'm sorry,” she said, letting her head sink down. Judar got up without a word, leaving for the hallway. He looked angry, and Hakuryuu followed him. 

“It's not your fault,” he said, as he passed his sister, but she knew Judar still blamed her for everything. 

Alibaba blinked in confusion. What's going on here? He patted the princess's hand, who hid her face. “Judar hates me because I refused to marry my fiance,” she explained to him, careful that nobody would hear their conversation. 

“Why would he do that? You can decide who you can marry, right?” Why was Alibaba suddenly part of some weird romance story? All he wanted was to be free from his curse!!

Kougyoku furrowed her brows. “I can't, because of the war. I was supposed to be marrying a prince from Balbadd. He was supposed to be lovely and charming, but he was- I couldn't do it. My brothers said it wasn't my fault, but it was important, and then Hakuryuu decided to take my place. Ever since, I know Judar didn't forgive me, because Hakuryuu has to marry a princess now, in a few days.” She didn't even know why she was telling this story now, and to someone she didn't even know. 

“What war?” Alibaba asked. He didn't hear any news about a war with Kou, why would there be one? The empire had been in a friendship with Balbadd since centuries, he couldn't imagine-

“You said you were a prince, right? Didn't you hear anything about it in your country? Balbadd declared war on us eight weeks ago when someone from the royal family was murdered. There was a trace that made it clear it was someone from Kou, but we didn't- and then we decided for the sake of peace we would unite our lands with a marriage. You see, Alibaba? We have as many problems as you have now.” She closed her eyes, thinking about what to do now. 

The frog jumped at her, demanding attention. “What did you say? If that's true, then you have to kiss me! I can end the war!!” he said, excited. “I was gone for so long, but you see-”  
\----

“Hey, Judar! Where are you going?” Hakuryuu yelled, running after the other, who vanished into one of the huge kitchens. 

Judar laughed bitterly. “The people were annoying me, and I hate Hakueis food. By the way, I wanted one of your meals, not some slob that tastes like nothing. So I'll just cook for myself!” He looked around to find supplies for his dinner, a bit helpless at the many ingredients that lay around, the various pans and equipment. Maybe an omelet would do, everyone can do that! 

“I have never seen you cook anything in your life, and I have a feeling you'll burn the place down. So I might as well help you,” Hakuryuu said and walked over to Judar, whose face lit up at the suggestion. 

“Oh, you will? How noble of you, prince Hakuryuu! I know, let's make pancakes!! Can you do these?!” How Judar could get from flirty to childish in a matter of seconds, it was a big mystery for the prince. But they didn't spend any time together for weeks, and Hakuryuu missed cooking. He had also missed Judar's company, but that was a different story. 

“Didn't you gather eggs and vegetables for an omelet?” he guessed, and Judar shrugged. 

“Changed my mind, now what do we need?” Judar was eager to set down whatever they needed, already a big bowl in hand. 

Hakuryuu thought for a moment. “Let's see. We need milk and flour. We could also make spicy ones if you want. They taste pretty good, and you should not eat so much sugar.” Judar rolled his eyes at this. He didn't eat that unhealthy! 

They did as Hakuryuu said, each of them working on a different dough, Judar using a bit too much sugar in his one, and the other would cut in some vegetables for his spicy version. Hakuryuu would glance over to Judar, who tried to sabotage his work by trying to put honey into his bowl, but he successfully defended it. 

Judar laughed as he put way too much into his pan, and now he wasn't able to flip it anymore! “Ah, fuck! Help me, Ryuu! I'll starve if you don’t save this one!” he screeched, as the underneath surface started to get brown. Hakuryuu tried to help, but they couldn't save it. 

Hakuryuu decided to take over now and fry the rest of the pancakes, while Judar was busy cutting on some paper. “What are you doing now, Judar?” he asked, trying to make out what the other was making. 

“I'll make a funeral! For my pancake! He was so nice…” Judar sighed and placed a small white paper flag on top of the burnt mess he had made.  
“You're so dramatic!” 

“Better than being boring! Give me my food now,” Judar demanded, fastly grabbing for the freshly made staple of pancakes. He was pretty hungry by now, and fortunately, nobody had followed them here, so he could finally eat in peace. He hadn't eaten all day since he sneaked out of his families’ mansion pretty early when it was still dark. And then he had tried to climb that damn high wall for hours! And when he did, Hakuryuu was there, and he had forgotten he had been hungry in the first place. Now, his stomach growled in anticipation.

Hakuryuu watched in awe as Judar ate almost three at once, then turned to have some for himself. It wasn't bad, but honestly, he didn't think his cooking was anything as good as the other made it out to be. 

After a few minutes in silence, Judar sat down his plate, sighing in satisfaction. “That was fucking good! You should make these more,” he said, patting his stomach. 

“Oh really, you liked them? That means I fulfilled my first wish, right?” Hakuryuu had finished eating some time ago, already starting to put the plates away. He didn't want to ruin Judar’s demand for dinner earlier, but he also didn't want to be alone with him. It made him nervous, to say the least. “Aren't you going to help me with the dishes?” 

Judar stepped closer to him, but instead of helping, he grabbed his wrist. “You know? It was pretty good, but there's something else I want to try,” he said, inching closer to Hakuryuu, who didn’t move. Judar took it as a silent agreement, and finally closed the gap between them, letting their lips touch lightly. To his surprise, Hakuryuu leaned towards him, deepening their kiss.

He couldn’t help but smile, they would finally kiss, after all those weeks! 

Hakuryuu’s hands wandered towards Judar, resting in his hair, as he slowly opened his mouth. It felt like a deep weight left his soul, to finally be able to enjoy this closeness. Judar’s tongue moved against his, and he could feel his heartbeat fast as ever. 

It soon turned into a passionate make-out session, and as soon as Judar gasped for air, Hakuryuu kissed him again. Now that he had crossed the line, he could as well enjoy it as much as possible. But realization hit him as he let go, forehead leaning against Judar’s.

“I'm sorry Judar, I shouldn’t have,” he said. “Forget about it.”

“Why? You liked it, right? You like me, and you know that stupid promise won't change it. Fuck the war and the stupid princess, you should be with me, and I know that's what you want!” Why was Hakuryuu so goddamn stubborn?! 

The prince stepped away, removing the grip on his wrist. “You may not know what duty is, but I do. And you don't know my feelings, stop reading something into this. Now tell me your second wish, so we can get it over.”

Judar thought for a moment, but his mood wasn't really the best anymore. “What I want is...a sleepover!” he declared, expecting nothing short of a complaint from the other.

“No. I won't sleep with you.” Hakuryuu crossed his arms, declaring his point.

“Pfft, what are YOU thinking? I just want to share a room for the night, like before. Remember?” Judar put the dishes aside easily, ready to go.

“....Alright.”

\----

They both walked towards Hakuryuu's chambers, which were a long walk from their current location, almost a remote location, as the bedrooms were pretty far away from each other. Judar used to make fun of the fact that they all had several private rooms, and often slept there without anyone noticing it. But it had been a while since he was here. 

After the current war had started, Judar made it clear that he wasn't interested in anyone, declaring his love for Hakuryuu, who then turned away from him without an answer. Was he really just in denial, or did he really not like him? 

After their kiss Judar knew the answer, but why wouldn't he just say it?

“Here we are.” Hakuryuu opened his bedroom door and stepped inside. Judar followed him inside, nothing had changed since he was here the last time, and he was glad. “You can sleep there, but stay at your side. I'm gonna take a bath now.”

The other nodded, sitting down on the huge bed, far too big for a slim man like Hakuryuu, it would easily fit five people his size. He suddenly felt tired, and without any effort fell asleep at once. 

The Kou prince didn't notice this, he was already getting ready for his bath, the earlier events clouded his mind with uncertainty and confusion. Judar had risked his life, only for dinner and sleepover? He felt bad for not spending time with him anymore, but he had hoped Judar would let go of his hopes that way. The thought that the other would do so much just to spend time with him was overwhelming. But if he told his brother...he couldn't. He couldn't ruin Kougyoku’s life. It was worse enough that she had to deal with that weird frog. That was his problem, not hers. Hopefully, she wouldn't kiss him. What if she did and turned to a frog herself?

No, she wouldn’t be so stupid. 

\----

As he returned to his bedroom, he found Judar fast asleep, a dark wave of hair surrounding him. Hakuryuu had often pointed out how he looked like a cat with their tail around the body, and the other laughed in agreement. He was extraordinary when it came to his food choices, and loved sleeping in, so that fit as well. 

The shuffling noise in the room woke him up, it was already dark, but he could see Hakuryuu climbing next to him on the bed. 

“I'm sorry, I was trying to be silent-”

Judar yawned, stretching his limbs. “Don't worry. Also what kind of wish would it be if I were to just fall asleep? Pretty lame, I guess.” 

“A sleepover works like this. You are supposed to-” 

“Yeah, whatever. Tell me a fun story, Ryuu!” Judar got up, leaning on his elbows to listen.

Hakuryuu didn't say anything for a moment, staring at the wall above them. “I was thinking...Why do you like me?” The question was unexpected, and Judar blinked. 

“I told you why! But you won’t listen to me, and every time I start again, you say that you don't wanna hear anything about it! Hakuryuu, you say you're not as smart or strong like your brothers, but you're even better! I fucking don’t know how to explain it, I’m shit at being romantic and I know I’m not the best choice but I know I like you! You’re the only one I have ever!!” What did he want to hear? Could he change his mind over that marriage if he said the right words? 

“Can I have my last wish?” he asked, looking over at Hakuryuu, who had closed his eyes, nodding. “I want you to say your feelings for me, without lying. Don’t tell me over some stupid duties, or whatever explanation you have for telling me off. If I’m wrong, I promise I won’t bother you with this anymore.” Making that promise was probably a stupid idea, but this may be the only chance to have clarity over this. 

Hakuryuu hesitated for a bit, a pained expression on his face. “You know I can't. I know you already have your answer, and as soon as I say it, it will be over! I won't be able to hold onto my promise, just like Kougyoku. She had fallen in love in Balbadd, and now she couldn't- Please wish for something else.” He felt a weight on top of him, seeing Judar hovering over his body, resting his hands on each side of his face. 

“No, tell me. Or maybe you would like to see me with somebody else, who knows how charming that frog prince may be? If I kiss him-”

“Fine!! I like you, Judar! There, you have it, I am in love with you for months. You’re so beautiful and passionate and I love how lazy you can be and still you’re-” Hakuryuu was once again cut off by those wonderful lips, and he wouldn't break their kiss for anything this time. He smiled into it, as he realized what drove Judar this far, had been jealousy. He was jealous over a frog that wanted a kiss! The thought was so silly, almost as much as his own weak attempt to hide his feelings for him.

“Was that enough for an answer?” he asked after a while, and Judar grinned.

“I don't know. I'm not entirely convinced~”

\----

The sun hasn't even risen, when there was a knock at the door. Hakuryuu groaned, trying to get up, but Judar put several limbs around him, holding him captured. His hair was sprawled around them, but Judar didn't seem to be waking up anytime soon, despite the noise. 

“Hakuryuu, are you awake? Come downstairs, It's important!” This voice...it was Hakuyuu! Was he already back? 

“Yes, we- I'll be there soon!” he shouted back, shaking Judar slightly. The other blinked lazily, looking around. 

“What happened?” As he let go, Hakuryuu immediately got up. 

“I have to go, something happened. I hope it doesn't have to do with that ‘prince’ from yesterday.”

Judar nodded “Yeah, fuck. I forgot about him! Also, what do you wanna do about that princess? You won’t marry her anymore, right?” 

Hakuryuu sighed. Even with his confession, it didn't change the fact that he had agreed on that marriage, and if two of the royal family refused their countries union, it would mean a big disgrace for Balbadd, and their situation would worsen. There was a reason he kept silent, after all. Because now he knew how nice it was to truly be with Judar. But he also now had gotten his hopes up, and he knew he shouldn't have done it in the first place. 

“I don't know what I'm gonna do. Let's see what my brother has to say, right?” 

\----

Hakuyuu was already waiting in the hallway, and so were Hakuren and Kouen. Was it that important to call everyone here? Kouen gave him a strange look as he saw he was accompanied by Judar, but he tried to ignore it.

“Welcome home, brother! I hope all went alright?” he asked, watching Hakuren smile slightly.

Kouen stepped in. “We demand you to tell us what happened here, Hakuryuu!” His face was unreadable, as always, and Hakuryuu didn't like that. You never knew what was on his mind. Why would they all ask what happened? Did they know about him and Judar?

He inhaled deeply. Lying to his brothers was pointless anyway. “I'm sorry I have disappointed you. Me and Judar, we- I only wanted to invite him for dinner and-”

“What’s with you?!!” Hakuren asked, looking between them, and Kouen spoke again.

“It's about HIM,” Kouen said, gesturing at a familiar frog. “Kougyoku said you found him yesterday, but you didn't tell us about it, and left her alone with him. Did you know he is an enchanted prince?” 

Judar scoffed. “Yeah, he wanted a kiss from Hakuryuu, as if we trust any cursed thing that claims to be a prince! But you can free him if you want to, maybe he’s your type!” That earned him an ice-cold death glare, but it was totally worth it. 

“Stop arguing now!” Hakuyuu spoke up, looking between them. “We will talk later about Judar, but if you had listened to him, Hakuryuu, you would know his name is Alibaba.”

“Yeah, no shit Sherlock! He told us like three-thousand times already.” Judar rolled his eyes, why were they all blaming Hakuryuu for that? If he had freed the prince from his curse, everyone would mock him for being reckless and stupid. 

Hakuyuu sighed, pinching his nose. Why was Judar even here? 

“He is the third prince of Balbadd. The rumors about his death started this war,” he explained, and Hakuryuu’s eyes widened.  
“He didn’t mention that. But that...that’s great! If we can free him now, the war will be over, and I won’t have to marry a Balbadd princess!” He was so happy, he would even now kiss that frog if that meant to be with Judar. He would free them both, in some way.

Suddenly, a man stepped in, it was Kougyoku’s assistant, Koubun Ka. “Hold on. If the prince gets freed by anyone, they could claim we held him captive! It has to be Kougyoku who breaks the curse! She was the one who believed him, not that arrogant snob and his weird lover! This way, there would still be a marriage between the two countries, and no war would ever happen again!"

"HEY WHO ARE YOU CALLING A SNOB?!" Judar shouted, but the others ignored him.

Alibaba sighed. "Can anyone free me now? My time is running out, I don't care who does it!"

"Ahahaha look at that pathetic thing! I bet he's crying now!" Judar held his stomach, pointing at the frog, who was still sulking over his situation. He didn't want to be cursed anymore, and the people here only cared about the war! Was there nobody that cared to free him out of love? But suddenly, he remembered!

"IT WAS YOU!" he shouted. "You cursed me, I remember your voice! You wanted to kill me, but I escaped. I had to flee here, and someone told me I had to be kissed to remove the curse...."

Everyone looked at Judar, who held his hands up. "Hey, the fuck?! I didn't do anything!" he shouted, and then all attention fell on Alibaba, who pointed at Koubun Ka.

Hakuyuu stared at him angrily. "Is that true?"

"I didn't mean to kill the prince, all I wanted was a child to enrich the empire!" the other shouted. "The diplomatic situation isn't stable, and when I saw Kougyoku reading a novel about a cursed prince rescued by her true love, I knew what I had to do!! The princess would kiss the frog, and return him to normal, and they would live happily ever after! If he would fail, he would be assumed dead, and there would still be a marriage! Don't you see that is a perfect plan?!"

"You damn..."

"I can't kiss Alibaba!" Kougyoku shouted. "You see, I couldn't marry Ahbmad, because I have already fallen in love with someone. We met in Balbadd, and he gave me this present." She pointed at the golden ball in her hands, the one that started this whole mess. "When I told Hakuryuu, he was ready to take my place. I know you meant well, Koubun, but your plan can't become reality.

Judar rolled his eyes. "I'm sure he only did that to give you a fairytale romance, pfft, he only wanted to gain power over this, how stupid are you, old hag?!"

Koubun Ka stomped his feet to the ground in anger. "If it wasn't for you, my plan would have succeeded, you ruined it all, you messed with Hakuryuu, maybe I should curse you as well!" Kouen had already signed for the soldiers to arrest him, he couldn't believe this man was who started the war.

"We need to free the prince as soon as possible and inform Balbadd. But I don't see anyone who would kiss Alibaba. And no, Judar, I won't do it. Men aren't my preference, as opposed to you, obviously. He looked at Hakuryuu, who blushed at this. He had practically admitted their relationship in front of everyone!

Hakuren went for Kougyoku, patting her head. "That was pretty brave from you, sister. Who is the lucky one?"

"He's not rich, his name is Cassim..."

"WHAT?!!!!" It was Alibaba again, who sounded like he was getting a heart attack any minute now. "Did you say Cassim? You're in love with him?"

Kougyoku nodded. "Yeah. Do you know him?"

"He is- He is my best friend! He has a beautiful girlfriend? Wahhh, I never even got kissed once! Why me? Why is this happening?" Back to sulking, but he didn't care anymore. "Nobody wants to kiss me, not even to lift my curse!!"

It was Hakuryuu's turn to speak up. "I know someone who might help you. He's the most beautiful woman in the country, and very popular. I bet she will help out a prince in need."

Alibaba's face lit up. "OH REALLY?! THANK YOU SO MUCH!"

"No problem. Her name is Elizabeth- ah, there she is." Hakuryuu almost laughed as he watched Alibaba's eyes widen in shock. She wasn't exactly a shy, fragile princess, but a big, masculine woman! He tried to jump away. "No! I'd rather stay a frog, thank you!!"

Elizabeth caught him in her strong hands. "Ah, he's so shy! Don't worry, I'll be gentle." She winked at the frog, and placed her lips on his, until suddenly, a white cloud surrounded him, and he was indeed a human again.

The young man stood frozen after his first "romantic" kiss, then blinked, looking at his hands. "I'm back!! Look Judar, can you see? I told you I was a handsome prince!" he shouted, running around on his legs. Actual legs!!

"Yeah congrats! You're ugly as fuck, and if you ask me, you still look like a frog!" Judar grunted, as Alibaba was in awe over his new old body. "I'm glad you don't have to marry a Balbadd princess anymore, Ryuu. Ugliness runs in the family."

Hakuryuu laughed.


End file.
